Tears Of Blood Everywhere
by DracozGirl88
Summary: It started when he stood before them. Now given a choice, she takes the one she thinks is certain to end it all for her and them. How will she cope with it all, no one is there for her except him, a new chance... as the traitor. HG/BCJ
1. Prologue

Beneath my Skin

Prologue – I remember

She remembered when she had first seen him how he was, he was being held back by two men by his arms. The men's grips were tight and it was easy to see that they were trying to cause him pain, but he just had that crazed smirk on his face, almost like he found it funny that they were causing him pain.

Hermione looked down at the chairs she was walking in-between, Harry was in front of her and Ron behind. They were surrounded by members of the Order and she glanced back at the delusional man before them before sitting in her seat. She spent the time waiting for the Ministry Officials to settle down in silence, afraid that if she spoke the demented man in the centre of the room, encircled by the chairs would see her and pounce.

He was like a beast in her mind, the look in his eyes and that smirk gave the effect that he was an animal stalking his prey, she didn't know that someone could be so animalistic, and she had seen people change into animals and beasts right in front of her.

The chattering room grew silent as the leader of the meeting stood up and held his hand out to everyone.

"As you all know, we are here to test Mr Bartemius Crouch Junior under Veritaserum so any questions asked will be answered truthfully and set some.. .. records straight**.**" The old man said, he had short grey hair which was a big sort of mess on his head. He seemed nice and Hermione guessed this was the man who took Barty Crouch Seniors job after his unfortunate…..death.

Hermione saw many people nod and make quite comments about this statement and she quickly looked around the room, she saw a clock on the wall, only it had the date on it instead and it was all backwards, she squinted and tried to read it, June 24th. It didn't have the year on it though, but she guessed no one would really need reminding for the year, it was very unlikely for someone to forget or need to know that it was 1995. Like people would forget, she said to herself before looking back up and seeing Barty looking straight at her. She gasped and felt Harry put his hand on her shoulder, she looked over at him, and he gave her a small smile, but she couldn't help but find it hard to shake the feeling that Barty was just looking at her, even though she wasn't looking at him she could still feel his eyes boring into her face.

"Severus Snape will be admitting the potion, which has been verified." And with that she watched as Snape stepped forward and took Barty by the chin and tipped the contains of the small bottle into his mouth. Snape closed his mouth and held his long fingers over his mouth and nose causing the involuntary reaction of Barty to swallow the liquid in his mouth so he could breathe.

Snape let go and took a step back before asking Barty a question to test is the potion was in effect. "What house were you in at Hogwarts?"

Barty frowned instantly but couldn't stop himself admitting the information Snape personally knew he hated. "Hufflepuff." He spat the words out at Snape and let out a low growl.

Snape quickly turned around and nodded to the man running the meeting.

"Good, we may continue. Bartemius, how did you escape from Azkaban?"

Barty's glaring face, looked up suddenly from Snape to the elderly man who had just spoken, a wicked grin broke over his face and he let out a small laugh before answering the question.

"My dear mother, ever such a nice dying woman, made her last living wish to save little me from that hell hole. So she did." He then rolled his head back and laughed loudly before snapping his head back down and sticking his tongue out quickly like a snake.

"How?"

"How what?" Barty teased the man, "You're going to have to be a we bit more specific."

The gray haired man sighed and ran a hand though his hair, only messing it up more, "How did your mother help you escape?"

"Wonderful thing that Polyjuice potion, isn't it?"

Another man stood up and spoke up very loudly, his annoyance clearly shown in his voice. "This is getting us no where!"

Barty smirk only widened as he turned and looked at the grey haired man for the first time. "I answered your question, you answer mine." He said in an almost sing song way.

"Mr Crouch, are you saying that you and your mother swapped placing using Polyjuice potion?" The grey haired man asked him, ignoring the other man who was still stood up.

"Yes! Yes I am!" He yelled, causing an echo to bounce around the room.

The old man coughed and turned to the rest of the people in the room, "This man is clearly insane." He said, sighing and taking his glasses off to clear them.

Dumbledore suddenly stood up and walked down from his set to where Barty was still being held, he didn't get too close, but closer then anyone else would dare to go.

"Barty, why did you disguise as Alastor Moody?" He asked calmly, he already knew the answer, but Dumbledore needed the others to here it.

Barty looked at the man before him, he pounced a bit, but smiled politely when he saw that Dumbledore did not jump or back away from him. "A little…..friend came home one day, and together we came up with a plot to restore Voldemort to his full body and power, a plot that needed me to be in very," He looked over Dumbledore's shoulder and up to where Harry was sitting, "Very close proximity to our young Mister Potter."

There were a couple whispers and gasps of shock from people all around but Hermione just kept on watching the man down in front of everyone, not taking her gaze off him for a second.

"Did you put Harry's name in the Goblet?" Albus asked the young man.

"Yes, very hard thing to do though, with Hermione with that seeker always hiding in that room though." Hermione winced when she heard him speak of her. She felt both Ron and Harry put their hands on her shoulder, like protective brothers before he started speaking again. "Had to wait for the night before all the names were picked." He said, his tongue darting out then back in every now and again.

Dumbledore was about to speak again when someone spoke up from next to where the old grey haired man sat. "Hermione? Who is this Hermione?"

"Hermione Granger, a student from my school." Dumbledore answered the question quickly, "She is not important at the moment."

Barty pulled unexpectedly and very hard against the two men restraining him, "No!" he yelled over Dumbledore's voice, who's head snapped around to him, curiosity written over his old worn features. "That was my question!" Barty yelled out to the man as if he was standing on the other side of the room and not just in front of him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at why he wanted to answer the question and not just leave it with Dumbledore's answer, she felt her heard speed up in panic at what he might say, she knew it was crazy, it wasn't like she was very close with him, like Harry was and she had rarely spoken to him, except in lessons.

Dumbledore slowly began to speak to the young man before him, "Okay, Barty, who is Hermione Granger?"

Barty smirked and let his eyes scan the crowd of people looking at him before reaching Hermione and looking her dead in the eyes, he never looked away as he spoke, and Hermione felt that she couldn't either, no matter how much this man was scaring her.

"She was a student of mine, and my days is she the best student anyone could ask for. You don't even need to teach her anything, because she already knows it! She's so god damn smart, smarter them anyone in the Ministry will ever be. But what a funny little mudblood she is-" He spoke with such a dream like voice, and even when he insulted her, his voice still held pride and admiration in it, and that scared Hermione more then the fact he just called her a mudblood.

Dumbledore's voice cut him off the second that word spilt from his mouth. "That is enough Mr Crouch!"

Hermione jumped at his sudden raised voice, she had only heard him yell like that once before, and quite frankly, it scared her how such a calm, collect man like him could change so suddenly and have such a presence like he did at the moment. But even that didn't stop Barty from continuing.

"So perfect…" his voice was quite, but everyone could still make out what he said. "She shouldn't be a mudblood." His eyes darted around, like he was calculating something, "She smart, and morals….What morals this girl has!" He yelled out to everyone, like he was speaking of a great force, but really it was just her. She felt Harry and Ron rising from next to her, but she gently put her hands on either of their knees, causing them to stop and sit back down, but never off the edge of their seats. "Right, wrong. She's just so powerful, and everything a pureblood should be. But she's not….." He trailed off to himself. Hermione looked at both of the boys at her side, they both were glaring darkly at Barty, hands clenched into fists. Hermione looked up and met Dumbledore's calm blue eyes, he was checking on her, seeing if she was alright. She gave him a small nod and smile to reassure him, then Dumbledore began to talk to Barty again. Who was still currently watching Hermione, licking his teeth, then his upper lip. Hermione suddenly felt very uncomfortable and sat back in her chair, hoping to hide herself from his intense gaze.

"Barty, why did you put Harry's name in the Goblet?"

"And so mature…." Barty kept on talking to just himself, not hearing Dumbledore's question. His eyes still on Hermione, Dumbledore noticed.

"Mr Crouch, why did you put Harry's name in the Goblet?" The two men holding him tightened their grips on him to try and get him to focus but it didn't help, Barty just continued to mumble to himself.

The grey haired man from before stood up again and called over to Dumbledore. "We won't get anything out of him Albus, he is completely barmy!"

Dumbledore sighed and motioned for the men to take him away, the did but not before he sneered at him and glanced up at Hermione one more time, just as the door shut, taking away any presence he had in that room.

There was a long eerie silence as everyone tried to take in what this man had just said. Hermione just continued to stare at the door that Barty had just exited out of. She felt cold, the way this man was talking about her, this Death Eater just fascinated with her. It made her feel very violated for some reason. She saw Molly and Arthur stand up and begin to move out of their chairs and out of the court room. Ron stood up after them, along with Harry, who helped Hermione get up on her shaking legs. They silently walked out of the room and down a set of stairs so they got to a big hall room, where many people who just witnessed what had happened where standing.

Hermione just kept on looking down at her hands which were held just in front of her. She didn't want to look up, in fear and embarrassment that they might recognise her and start asking her questions to which she didn't have any answers, she was just as shocked, if not more, by Barty's thoughts of her.

Molly walked over to Hermione and hugged her, Hermione just put her arms around the plump woman and held her a bit to tightly.

Molly finally let her go but still held her at arms length by her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded, but she knew that wasn't going to convince anyone. Come on, where is that Gryffindor courage? She asked herself. "I'm fine, just a bit shocked at what he said."

Molly sighed and gave her another hug and started whispering into her ear. "It's okay child, he's not well, he cannot harm you."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes but forced herself not to let the fall, she bit into the inside of her lip and whispered in a very panicked voice, "Why did he sat those things?" her voice was nearly breaking and she could feel herself shaking.

Molly just let her go gently and smiled warmly at her, "I don't know."

Hermione was about to ask Molly something when she saw Dumbledore walking towards her, she wiped her hand under both of her eyes even though no tears had fallen and held her chin high.

"Miss Granger, I think there is something we need to discus." His voice was strained and Hermione nodded meekly.

"Can Harry and Ron come?" Dumbledore nodded, and Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron, who were standing just behind her, she looked back at her headmaster and began to follow him.

They walked through the many halls in the Ministry until they reached a small dark wooden door, which they stopped outside of. Dumbledore opened it with a tiny key and they all walked into it. Hermione instantly saw four chairs, three on one side and one on the other.

Dumbledore walked to the single chair, whist Hermione, Ron and Harry walked to the others and sat down. All three of them, looking wide eyed at Dumbledore as if he had the answers to the questions they didn't ask. "Barty Crouch is a very complicated person." Dumbledore started.

Ron muttered something under his breath, which Hermione heard as, "Very mental person."

"Yes, Ron, he does have some mental problems, mainly from the very twisted and difficult life he has had."

"Headmaster, he is a Death Eater. As loyal as they come," Harry spoke politely to Dumbledore, "Don't you think it's a little weird that he looks at Hermione so…." Hermione saw Harry struggle to find the right word, "fondly." Hermione let out a snort at his choice.

"I do not know why he does, Hermione is clearly all of the things he spoke of, but I do not know why he was thinking these things, he is very mentally disturbed." Dumbledore said calmly. "I think it would be better if we all just forgot about Barty Crouch. He is being sent back to Azkaban where he will not be getting out of any time soon."

Hermione spoke up for the first time since they got in the room, "He's supposed to hate me."

Dumbledore's gaze feel onto the fifteen year old girl in front of him, "Miss Granger, you are smarter then everyone in Hogwarts, you are extremely powerful and you are very beautiful. Everything a Death Eater thinks a muggleborn isn't supposed to be. But you are, and Barty has seen that. Everything Voldemort has been saying about muggleborns and muggles, none of them are reflected in you. You are living proof that Voldemort is wrong in everything he believes."

Hermione nodded, taking it in, but it still didn't stop that sinking feeling of coldness inside of her. "Can we just forget everything that happened today?" Dumbledore gave a kind and slow nod to Hermione's question and Ron and Harry took her by the hands and smiled at her. "I mean, he is insane after all." And with that, all of them left the room, and Hermione, Harry and Ron went back to the Borrow with the rest of the Weasleys and none of them spoke of that day again.


	2. Of Coins And Choices

Chapter One – Of Coins and Choices.

She knew it wouldn't be easy, it was never easy, war was never easy, but she never thought it would come down to the meeting they were having now.

It had been a year since the Death Eaters broke into the school and tried to kill Dumbledore, they hadn't, but it was still an extremely close call, one that shook them all up a bit and in that year there was only one battle and one fight that occurred. The battle was the worst, that's how they lost Shacklebolt, the fight was small, very small, but it was a lot more personal then anyone wanted it to be. It was just her, Ron and Harry, they were trying to find one of the Horcruxs, the locket from Grimmald Place. Recently they had discovered that it was one, hidden by Sirius' brother, who had actually been a spy the whole time, not that anyone knew that, he sent secret messages and clues to the Order, but no one ever knew that they were from him.

They were looking for it in many of the boxes that were just lying around in the house when they heard a noise. All of them were on their feet instantly, wands drawn and eyes alert. Hermione didn't see what happened next, but she was now up against a wall, being pressed by a man she couldn't make out. She wondered why no one was helping her, but she could hear that they were fighting other people themselves. She tightened her grip on her wand and lifted her arm around the back of the person holding her there. Pressing it into his back she felt a point of something in her cheek, it didn't take much of a guess to know it was a wand.

She blinked a couple times, trying to get her sight back, and slowly it blurrily came. She squinted only to make out the face of Barty Crouch Jr, she gasped only to feel the wand forced more pointedly into her cheek. She didn't know he had escaped, she thought he was still in Azkaban, but obviously he wasn't. He had that lazy smirk on his face, it was lopsided and it caused winkles to surround his eyes. She tried to move back from his lowered face, but couldn't because of the wall that supported her.

Looking into his eyes she whispered a spell, but so did he. He was thrown across the room and hit the wall on the other side, whist Hermione fell to the ground, clutching her cheek. It burned so much and she let out a cry as she felt tears fall from her eyes. Still holding her searing skin, she looked up to see Harry and Ron yelling things at each other, things she couldn't hear because of the spells that they were throwing at the Death Eater in front of them. She turned and saw Barty getting up slowly, once he got to him feet he slanted slightly and very casually walked back over to her.

She got up quickly and held her wand out at arms length, she sent a couple spells but all he reflected or countered until he got within a couple feet of her again. His tongue darted out and Hermione scrunched up her face with disgust, she needed to get away from this crazed man and find that locket, but she didn't know how.

"Miss Granger…" He said in an upbeat voice, dazed almost, "My my, how you've grown." His smirked widened as he flicked his tongue again, only this time he did it slower, more deliberate.

Hermione cringed in disgust at his actions and looking up and down him body, when she reached his face again she saw him still smirking, "And I see you're still insane." She restored, never making a move, it was always harder to make the first move so she was just waiting for him.

"Miss Granger, I taught you defence, I know every move you make." He laughed and stalked a couple steps closer, causing Hermione to straighten her arm. Barty slowly moved his eyes from her face, down to her feet and back up again. "And while I may be insane," He took another step closer, and his smirk slowly lowered into an almost friendly, kind smile, to which Hermione raised her eyebrow at. "Never believe that effects my intelligence."

Hermione swallowed and just glared at him. "Guess I'll have to use something new then." She said before taking a risk and yelling out "Avis!" And a flock of birds were conjured from her wand.

They all flew directly at Barty and she saw a look of pure anger cross his face as he yelled out,"Diffindo." which caused all the birds to be ripped in half and disappear all together but not before she got a good look at feathers and all the birds insides being thrown across the room. The look of hatred took a while to calm, his face was turned into a sneer, one that had her worried of what he might do. She took a step back and prepared herself for his attack, but he never made one. She kept her eyes glued onto his and slowly the began to circle each other, it reminded her of two animals stalking, testing out their prey before making a move. Hermione, moving closer to Harry and Ron as she walked around the room, her eyes never leaving the dark brown ones of Barty, knew that he knew what she was going to do, but he never tried to stop her, like he almost wanted her to get away, she knew he had had many chances, but just never took them.

She was only a couple of steps away from Harry and Ron when he suddenly stalked over to her, walking aloft but still strong and Hermione's breath caught in her throat she held her wand out and called out a spell, one Barty waved one of his hands at and it flew past him and hit a wall behind him. But before Hermione even had a chance to cast another spell she felt Barty grab her shoulders and lick her cheek.

It was warm. Not chilling cold like she thought it might have been if she had had time to think about it. It made her freeze, but not in a cold way, it was mainly shock that made her unable to move or think. She gasped when she felt her cheek sting after he ran his tongue over it, she remembered that he had also cast a spell before on that same spot and wondered was about to cast another spell at him, or kick him, knee him, whatever she could do first and which caused him more pain, but he pushed her to where Harry and Ron were.

She felt one of them catch her, she wasn't sure which one it was, but they both grabbed hold of either hand and they all disapparated out of the room, leaving the Horcrux behind, if it was even there anyway.

They all arrived in the Burrow and all of them practically feel to the floor because they were so tired and worn from the fight they just had. They all lay on the floor in a heap but none of them were complaining about it, they were all just breathing in and out heavily, really enjoying the fact that they were safe and together. Hermione stood up first, she was going to find Minerva or anyone else to tell them about what happened.

She passed a mirror in the hall and stopped. She looked in it, worry and confusion written all over her face, she now had a light purple mark on her cheek, where Barty had hit her with that spell, where his wand was resting just before he cast it, where he had licked it. She ran her hand across it and felt a slight sting and that it was still wet from Barty's saliva, quickly removing her hand, she wiped it on her trousers and moved closer to the mirror to look at it more closely. She recognised it as a rune, Pethro. It may have just been a coincidence, but she knew her Runes, and this one was identical to the Viking one of Fate. Her brow scrunched up as she lightly grazed her hand across it, not to hard to cause pain, but enough to just feel it, but was quickly interrupter by Molly walking by and quickly hurrying over to her, holding her by the arms and questioning her instantly.

"Are you okay? Did you get the locket? Where are the boys?" Her voice held all the worry that it usually did, only now so did Hermione's.

"Their in the...er," Hermione bought a hand to her head, she couldn't think straight, her hand was shaking as she let it brush over her hair. "The living room." She finally said, she looked at Molly and gave a weak smile, Molly hugged her warmly and took her by the hand, taking her into the kitchen, where Hermione instantly found herself in Ginny's arms but Hermione just laughed lightly and patted the girl on the back. She was just glad she could hug the girl, she felt like she was going to cry, funny, that she wanted to cry now that it was over, she thought to herself before Ginny let her go so she could see the other people in the room.

Snape, Remus, Tonks, Moody, Minerva, Arthur, Fred and George were all there, somehow fitting into the kitchen, she was thankful that Dumbledore couldn't be there, out of fear of what the cramped conditions could do to the old mans health. She smiled lightly to everyone and saw Snape and Moody studying her cheek rather then acknowledging her at all. Molly had left, Hermione guessed, most likely to get Harry and Ron, but she soon returned, her motherly expression still on her face, yet it held that slight announce look that she had seen many times.

"They'll be here in a minute. Just getting up." She informed everyone, then walking over to her sit, next to Arthur and Minerva, and sitting back into it. Ginny had done the same so it was just Hermione standing at the door, feeling uncomfortable under everyone's gaze.

Harry and Ron soon slumped into the room, not being bothered to stand, after seeing there were no sits available, they just both sat on the floor. Harry reached up to one of Hermione's dangling hands and tugged it lightly so she would get the idea and sit down next to them, which she did.

After everyone couldn't take it any longer, someone finally spoke up and for some reason, Hermione was glad it was Moody, she knew that he would get it straight out, no sugar coating, just down to what happened.

"So you didn't get the locket. Who stopped you?" Hermione wondered how he knew that someone had stopped them, but then looked down at her clothes and Harry and Ron's and saw that hers were covered in what she could only make out to be bird guts and Harry and Ron's were both ripped and dirtied, it didn't take a genius.

Harry was the one to speak, which Hermione was thankful for, she really felt that if she even moved she'd fall apart or die.

"We were looking for it when two Death Eaters stormed in, the one we," he motioned to himself and Ron, "fought….well I guess it was Crabbe," He breathed in and looked around the room, "senior." He clarified when he saw the shocked look on Minerva's face.

"You fought?" Remus said, pointing at Ron and Harry, both nodded, then Remus' gaze fell onto Hermione, "What about you, Hermione?"

Hermione just rolled her head across the wall behind her that she was resting it on, so she could look at Remus.

"I didn't see who she was fighting." Harry spoke up, turning his body heavily to face her.

"Yeah, neither did I actually, you alright Herms?" Ron asked, speaking for the first time.

Hermione let out a snort and moved so she was sitting up a bit straighter, she glanced at Ron and Harry before turning her gaze to Remus, the person who had asked her the question. She fiddled with her hands a bit before she spoke, "Yeah, I was against Barty Crouch Junior."

Hermione heard a couple people gasp, but she just keep her eyes on Remus, knowing he would give her a brave face.

"Isn't he the insane one?" she heard Ron ask out loud.

"No," She heard Snape's sharp voice cut in, she turned to look at him, her brow crinkled and a shocked look on her face, she had meet Barty, in person twice now. She could tell that he wasn't sane, so it came as a shock when Snape even suggested that he might not be. She saw him sitting back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest like usual. He had a dark expression on his face and Hermione wondered what he knew, "He isn't insane. Just," Snape ran a hand though his hair, trying to find the right way to explain it, "In a bad place. A very bad place."

Everyone sat in silence, very few believe what he had just said and the ones that did, didn't know what to think. One of the people that didn't believe Snape was Hermione, who was currently thinking about all the things Barty had done, her anger rising inside her and the ability to hold it in was weakening. She took one final look at her hands and looked up to meet Snape's piercing black eyes.

"Bad place? He killed his own father. He condemned his mother to die in a cold cell in Azkaban. He kidnapped Moody and impersonated him for a year!" She felt tears welling up behind her eyes and she didn't care, the pain in her cheek was throbbing and she just didn't care about being polite, or being nice. She just wanted to let everything that he had done, that he had caused and how she felt about those things, and how they hurt so many people off her chest. "He was the one who lead to the new rise of Voldemort, and to do that he cursed unforgivable, he nearly killed people along with leading to Cedric's death!" Hermione clenched her fists and just continued to stare at Snape, who was taking in everything she was saying, a look of sadness yet spite in his eyes. "He manipulated people. He tortured people! He had said and done the most cruel and callous and horrid things I can think of. Someone in a bad place doesn't do those kinds of things, Professor." She finished, she felt tears slowly flow down her cheeks and as she went to wipe them away, her hand brushed the mark causing her to hiss at the sting.

"Who marked you?" Snape's voice was calm, and Hermione looked up to his gaze again, only now his was softer, like he knew the answer, but knew it just had to be said.

Hermione self consciously took a bit of hair from behind her ear and let it fall across her face, to hide the mark. "Barty Crouch, sir." She said, her voice held no emotion and Snape and Hermione both raised their heads up but kept their eyes on each other. It wasn't until Molly and Minerva rushed over to her and bent down to her level, brushing her hair back so they could see the mark, that her and Snape's staring contest finished.

"Oh my," Molly said, brushing the feature with her finger, causing Hermione to take in a sudden breath of air. "This is not good."

"My child," she heard McGonagall sigh, and when they both stood up they turned and gave everyone else a grave look.

"It's just a mark." Hermione said. She stood up and brushed her clothes off. She needed some sleep and didn't really want to stay around here whist everyone discuss her like she wasn't.

"Miss Granger, for such a smart girl, you are very stubborn. Barty Crouch is very….animalistic, he has marked you as his, it's not as powerful mark as Harry's is, but it is not to be thought upon lightly." Snape said, Hermione just glared up at him.

"I'm tired, can't you all brief me in on this in the morning, I don't like being around when people are talking about me anyway." She said, hoping it was a good enough reason and that they would let her go.

"You may go child." McGonagall's voice sounded as tired as Hermione felt, she looked over at her teacher and saw the worry in her eyes, Hermione suddenly felt a bit guilty about being so cold.

"I…..I'm sorry." Hermione said before turning and walking out of the door.

But before she had even stepped out of the door frame she heard Moody start to speak, she was surprised he had stayed quite for so long anyway. "I knew that Crouch boy was going to do something like this to her, things he said at the Ministry about her those years ago, he has an obsession with her-"

Hermione didn't hear the rest of what he and everyone else was saying, she had walked up the stairs to where she was sleeping and shut the door behind her. She lay faced to the wall as it stung too much to lie on her cheek, and she cried herself to sleep, which didn't take long.

The days that followed consisted of Hermione sitting in the study, reading booksabout markings, Pethro, the Crouch history and tradition and some more books about marking spells. She had come up with very little and that's what scared her the most. She had been stopped many times, by many different people in the Order, many of whom she didn't know, and each one had looked at her face, looked a bit closer, made a face, sighed and walked away. She hated it, but guessed that's what Harry got all the time so she felt a wave of sympathy for him, but it still annoyed her when they did it to her, like she was just a painting or a statue to look at.

Two days after that, all the Order were called to Hogwarts. They all were in the Room of Requirement, which currently was just a big wall, with dark walls and loads of chairs sat out in a big circle. Hermione looked around and saw everyone, she sighed when she saw many people whispering and taking quick glances over at her, and she just sighed and turned back to Harry, Ron and Ginny, who were currently talking about what the password meant, which was Willy Wonka.

Hermione laughed and joint in, "Willy Wonka is a fictional character who owns a chocolate factory." A look or realization crossed over Ron and Ginny's face.

Ron quickly turned to Harry, a look of confusion on his face, "Guess you were wrong mate," He said to Harry, who was trying to hide a laugh, Ron didn't notice and turned to Hermione. Pointing at Harry he said, "Harry here said he was a type of animal that makes people horny!"

Hermione smirked and nodded at Ron, whist taking a quick glance to Harry who had stopped hiding his amusement and was now nearly crying with laughter. Shaking her head she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She twisted her head to see Dumbledore, she smiled up to him and said hi, but he was only looking gravely down at her cheek. Hermione was about to frown when he started speaking to her.

"I guess you want answers about that marking don't you?" Hermione nodded and he continued, "I think you'd be best to ask Mr Crouch, he is the only one who has the answers."

Hermione frowned, there was no way she was going to ask Barty, he was insane and a Death Eater. She wondered how delusional Dumbledore was getting, but didn't question what he had said.

He smiled gently to Hermione and looked up to see many people watching him, he walked over to the empty seats on the other side of the circle but didn't sit down in his.

"Fellow Order members, I call you here because we face a grave time, one that we will not all survive. This is a one in a blue moon meeting, one where it is to give you the information of what to do if the times are too dark and there is no other way." Hermione understood what he was talking about, and looked around the room, so did many other people, including Tonks who did not have a happy look on her face about it. She took Ginny's hand, who was sitting next to her, and squeezed it. Ginny looked up at her, and Hermione could tell she didn't know what was about to be said.

"Each of you will be given a coin, this coin can be opened when twisted and inside is a potion, only enough for a sip. Each coin has the persons name engraved in it." He moved his hand out to behind him, and Hermione saw coins appear on the table, each with parchment under them. Her eyes shifted back to Dumbledore and he continued, "Use them only as a last choice. And I stress, do not drink any one else's potion, although it is the same potion, they are made for you and only you." Dumbledore looked down at the floor in front of his feet and even though she was on the other side of the room, Hermione swore she saw a tear fall from his eye and hit the surface of his glasses.

Frowning she saw some people get up and collect their coin but many kept seated. Hermione looked over to Ginny, who had tears in her eyes and Hermione hugged her.

"Is this what it will come to?" She heard Ginny ask her, her voice cracking and quite.

Hermione held her tighter, "I promise it won't. Not like this, never like this." Her voice was strong, but she wasn't. Just below the surface she knew that this is what it may come to but she couldn't show that, she needed to be the person who Ginny could believe, the stronger one of them all.

She stood up and took Ginny's hand, they walked past Remus and Tonks to the table, and Hermione saw her get up in the corner of her eye, and she started yelling at what Hermione could only guess as Remus.

"I can't believe you would even suggest that!" Remus stood up too, taking a small step to Tonks but she didn't stop. "You know I would never lower myself into doing that! If I go down, I go down unwillingly and fighting, I thought you knew that."

Hermione and Ginny had stopped now, and watching Tonks yell and Remus, and so had everyone else by the looks of it.

"Tonks, you knew this was going to happen, and you know it is not forced, it's your choice, and it is only being given out just in case you get trapped in a bad situation and need to end it." Remus' voice was low and Hermione could only just hear it herself.

Tonks had a look of disgust on her face at his words, "I would never do that to myself. I'm not taking a coin."

Remus took hold of her hand, but she quickly jerk it out of his grip, "It's not just a coin, Tonks."

Tonks turned away from him, and sad quietly, "I know, but it just doesn't set well with me that I have my own suicide in my pocket if I take it." Remus slowly walked up to her back and put his arms around her.

Hermione didn't hear what he said to her, but he could only guess that he was whispering calming words, of comfort and support. Smiling at the couple, her and Ginny moved over to the table, Ron and Harry quickly joint them. They were the only ones at the table at that time, and Hermione let her eyes rake over all the coins that lay neatly in rows, each one shining and beautiful. But she knew that inside was a potion able to take her life in just on drop.

She shook her head and turned her head away. "Tonks is right." She whispered to herself.

"Here Herms, I found yours." Ron smiled kindly as he handed her the coin and the piece of paper that came with it. She slipped the coin in her pocket, not wanting to look at it, and held the paper. It simply said her name at the top and she could see an imprint of where the coin had once lain on it. She folded it and put it in the same pocket as the coin.

Turning she caught Snape's eyes again. She remembered not seeing his name or coin on the table, but remembered that he was the one who made the potion most likely, so he would already have it. She wondered why he was looking at her so differently, not a tone or trace of any detest or hate in his eyes and his mouth was not in a firm line like usual, but in a small frown.

His eyes fell to the pocket she had placed the coin and piece of paper in, and she felt it begin to burn, but she guessed it was just her sub conscience. She tore her gaze away and walked over to Remus and Tonks, who had now calmed down. She remembered that day. And that on that day she always knew that they had been given the coins for a reason, but never thought that they would have to actually use them.

Hermione pouted her lips at the irony that Tonks was the first one to use the potion. Dumbledore hadn't told them that the coins were connected and that everyone would know when another person died, because they all turned stone cold, and the persons last message was played out to everyone. She briefly told them where she was, and that she wanted them to come find her body later, when it was safe and she cried at the thought that she would be left there, even after death. She wiped the tears away and told Remus that she loved him, something that everyone already knew, but Hermione couldn't help but feel like she was listening to something personal. And finally she spoke of why she was taking her potion, she was being held by Lucius Malfoy and that he was going to rape her. Hermione knew that Tonks would sooner die then let herself be taken advantage of like that.

She sent out a prayer for Tonks, even though she knew it was too late, she was just thankful they had seen her take the potion and ….. Just stop living, Hermione told herself. That's what it was, it wasn't dying. It was not living anymore. She knew she didn't make any sense but as she watched Remus morn, and slowly others take their potion and find out that a few had gone down fighting, mainly the men who didn't have the major threat of rape and sexual assault as the women did. She wondered how long it would be before she had to make a choice, one like this. She tried to think of what it would be like to be in their situations and what she'd do, but she just couldn't.

Closing her eyes, she felt a stray tear escape, and she held onto the coin tightly in her hand. It was warming up again. Warming up from the last message.

Bill and Fleur. She was glad they died together, not on their own, always wondering about the other. They knew they were together and going to be safe. They didn't say much, it was mainly Fleur in French to her family, her sister, Hermione knew some French, so she knew what most of the words she said were. Bill just kind of held her and he said a simple bye to his family and friends. Hermione knew Bill a little bit, and knew he wasn't one to talk that much, she just dreaded walking out of her bedroom doors and having to face the world.

Everyone in the Order never spoke of the new deaths; they just acknowledged them and continued like they had never happened. Each mourned on their own and did it in privacy of their own rooms or outside somewhere.

Hermione didn't mourn for them, and that worried her a bit. She just accepted each death and repeated the same thing in her mind, the thing that she had told herself so many times, she was sure she was trying to convince herself of it.

Quietly, to herself Hermione said the sentence that she did after every time the coin started warming up again. Her voice never quivered, she never spoke it was emotion, just that same monotone.

"This is a war, wars have casualties but on both sides, we are not an exception."

And with that she connected the coin to the necklace she had made she that it was easy to get to and harder to lose, and she stood up, putting on the mask she made so perfect, like everything else she did, and went to join the masquerade of the Order and she liked to call it.


	3. Sink Or Swim

Chapter Two - Sink or Swim

"We are losing this war." Hermione's voice was dull in the small room that only four people were sitting in. All on the floor, their faces grim like hers and she could tell they were all thinking the same as she had just said.

"No…." a small voice of one the other people said, it was sad and held quite, yet they knew that it was true.

Hermione looked up at the other three people in the room, Remus, Harry and Ginny. There they were, the only four remaining members of the Order, unless you counted Moody, who was currently in the clutches of Death Eaters, so they could only wish the best that he was alive, yet take down numbers of the people they knew were alive for sure, him not being one of them.

She ran a hand across her cheek bone, along the small magical mark that now lay on her skin there. "We leave this room, we die. We need to either come up with a brilliant plan right now, or," She looked at everyone, all of them knowing what she was going to say, but none of them, including herself, wanting to hear it. "Use that spell as a way to end it, for us."

Ginny stood up, the weight of the words getting to her. Those words being spoken aloud was much different then everyone just thinking them, it made it more final, more real.

"We can't, we still have to fight." She ran a hand over her now short hair, pacing two steps before having to turn and pace the other way because of how small the room was.

"Ginny, the only wand we have is mine, and we don't know what spell it was hit with before…." The battle that had lead them to be here, stuck in this tiny room with no where to go except death or killing themselves.

Hermione was fighting Barty Crouch Jr, well the just Barty Crouch now that his father was deceased and had been for a long time now. She was standing in front of Remus, Harry and Ginny, protecting them with their only wand, hers.

"Hello Hermione." He said with the same spiteful voice that he had said long long ago to his father in the Ministry. The voice, the day Hermione only knew of because she had seen the memory of Dumbledore's when trying to find out whatever she could about Barty.

Barty had that crazed smirk on his face, a smirk Hermione was used to now, him being Voldemort's right hand man made him the person she fought the most with in battle. He licked his lips and stalked over to her, both of their wands raised; hers aimed at his chest and his at her wand.

"Us again." He called over to her, even though it was just him, three more Death Eaters and the four of them.

"Yeah, lucky me." Hermione responded before casting a spell which he silently countered, causing it to bounce mid air and go back to her. But she reacted quickly and sent it flying into a wall at their side.

"Why do you still do this Hermione? Why not give up," he took another step towards her; Hermione could only raise her wand to his face. "Give in to me." He flicked his tongue, he was getting closer to her, like he did in most battles, and she hated it. He was insane and she couldn't stand being around him, never knowing when he would strike or pounce on her. He lowered his face

right next to hers and she felt him whisper a spell before she knew what he was doing.

She could feel everyone behind her, working to get them out, but she didn't care, all she was focused on right now was his eyes boring into hers. She knew it was the spell but she couldn't help but have it consume her, she tried to fight it, but the more she did, the more she felt him laugh at her and take more control.

He took her wand out of her hands, bringing to right next to his mouth, his great smirk only widening when he slowly licked it from its handle to its tip, which disgusted her, he moved back from her and whispered another spell into it. She saw a little glimmer of gold leave his mouth and seep into her wand, and she couldn't help but let out a strangled cry. This caused him to look back up at her, but never moving his head from her wand.

"Shh," he said raising a hand to her mouth, tapping it gently and leaving his finger lightly pressed against her lips. "It's all yours." She felt him slip the wand back into her pocket, and she darted her eyes down too look at it, she tried to move her hand to grip it tight, but couldn't. She looked back up Barty and he flicked his tongue again, only this time he moved in to her face, she felt him lick along the mark on her cheek and she felt the need to cry, vomit and kill him all at once.

He let the spell which held her go and he moved back very slowly from her, "What a waste." He whispered, it would be guessed as to himself, but Hermione knew better, it was his way of sort of saying goodbye to her. Something that had become an almost tradition with them over time, every time they fought, all five times.

She knew better then to reach out and even touch her wand, not knowing what spell he had cast, but knowing it definitely had one on it. She knew he wouldn't kill her, not right now, they would have killed them already if that's what they wanted. She turned around to the others and saw them chanting, Harry and Ginny holding their hands out for her to take, and join in with their circle and chanting. She took hold of them roughly and felt like she was using a port key, but knowing better. It was the same pulling sensation in her stomach, but when she glanced back she saw Barty licking his lips one last time, whist watching her, before disappearing to the small room which they were currently in.

"I'm sorry Ginny, I know I promised you, but that was such a long time ago." Hermione said, knowing that she was regretting her words as much as everyone was. She wiped her mark as if it burnt suddenly. Looking up at Ginny, who was walking around the cramped room, she continued. "It's the only way."

Harry spoke up now, "Ginny, we're the last ones. There are hundreds of them, nearly thousands. There are four of us." He stood up and grabbed one of Ginny's hands and pulled her to him, where he wrapped his arms around her and they just stood there, silently, holding each other.

Hermione turned to Remus and closed her eyes slowly before opening them and finding hers looking straight into his. "Are you okay with this?" She asked him lightly.

Remus nodded, running his hand though his vastly grey hair. "Yeah, I have been for awhile," Hermione knew that he was ready to take it after Tonks had, seeing no reason to live anymore. Hermione was there when he nearly tried to take it for the first and only time, she had to jump on him, making him fall to the ground where he hit and punched her into letting him up but she only did when she made him promise. "But are you?"

Hermione frowned further as she looked down at the coin in her hands. "No." she said, and looked up to Harry and Ginny holding each other. She craved having someone all the time during the war, having no one to hold her, comfort her like Ginny did. She turned back to Remus and she could tell that he knew what she was feeling. Slowly he took his coin out and twisted it open, she saw the dark purple liquid in its tiny holder.

Ginny and Harry had turned now, and watched fearfully at Remus and the coin in his hands.

There was an eerie silence as Remus embraced her in to a hug, she closed her eyes as they said this last goodbye. Her eyes still closed as he pulled back and she knew he had taken the potion when she heard a light thud. A tear fell from her eyes as she opened them slowly and looked up to Harry and Ginny.

She heard him mutter something, which she could make out as "We're together, that's all that matters." She sighed and knew that she was the perfect person to take the potion next, leaving Ginny and Harry a bit of time to themselves. It seemed right to her that it ended this way, no matter how much she didn't want it to.

Delicately she took out the stone cold coin, which now pulsed with iciness that only came when someone had died but not left a message. It was obvious that it was Remus. She twisted it open and was surprised that it came undone so easily. She looked down at the light purple liquid and noticed how cloudy it was compared to Remus', who's was a lot darker and less misty. It was weird, so summarized, unnerving definitely, to stare at your own cause of death and know that in a minute you will be dead yourself. Taking on last look at Harry and Ginny who were now sitting in the corner, hugging each other, and one last look at Remus' still body, it took her back at how much it looked like he was sleeping rather than dead.

She was hesitant to take the potion even after everything that had happened. She contemplated whether or not she should just surrender, surrender to him, Barty Crouch Junior.

She just heard the bodies of harry and Ginny collapsed onto the floor. She looked at them as she felt the icyness of the coin in her fingers. They looked almost peace full in their death, another stray tear fell from her eye as she watched them. She realised how close she had come to death at that moment, she angrily threw the coin onto the floor, and it landed with a soft thud.

She realised that she did not what to die at the hand of a suicide coin and that even if she wanted to change her mind the chance had gone. She slid to the floor and cried silently. She got up from the floor and angrily wiped the tears from her eyes, if she were to surrender to barty, the other death eaters and most of all voldemort she had to be strong.

She quickly apparated to number 12 grimwald place and was surprised to find no death eaters there. She went out into the hallway ignoring Mrs. blacks screams of mudblood and opened the door saying goodbye to the house forever. She walked out and into the courtyars in the middle of all the houses and said loudly "I surrender to you barty, i surrender to the death eaters, I surrender to the dark lord" she had tears streaming down her face.

She heard numerous pops around her signalling that death eater had apparated around her. She carefully plucked her wand from her pocked and threw it to the side to show that she was unarmed. She looked up and was met by the similar black eyes she had seen so many times before. The man in question, Barty Crouch Junior, moved towards agonisingly slow, his tounge flicking out like always. When he finally reached her he slid his hand to her chin and made her look at him. "I'm so glad that you finally surrendered yourself to me and to my lord" he hissed out menacingly just before he claimed her mouth in a possessive kiss.

The kiss was almost animalistic but something in her mind screamed out to her that it felt amazing. She had never been kissed like this by anybody and she liked it. His tongue was probing and she finally decided to let herself go into the kiss and moaned. She could feel him smirk against her lips and she reached around and slid her hands into his spiky, silky hair just as he slid both his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body roughly. She was barely aware of her back hitting the wall of one of the many houses as he pressed every inch of his powerful body against hers as their lips moved in sync and their tongues battles for dominance. They heard many throat clearings and broke apart.

Hermione blushed bright red but barty had an almost animalistic smirk on his face. " Your mine and only mine, no one may touch you except me, you are and always will be mine" he hissed.

She looked into his coal black eyes and agreed with sincerity in her eyes...

"I'm Yours" and he apparated them both to the house of riddle.


	4. Meetings And Life

Chapter 4

Meetings And Life

They arrived in front of a very big, very grand house which she could guess was riddle manor. Barty pulled her to him roughly, licking her cheek with his mark on once again, but this time she sivered, not out of fear but out of pleasure. He sensed it and smirked madly, he truly did look like an animal but... he was her animal. "be good hermione" he hissed "your life depends on it, you will now meet my, and maybe your master" she closed her eyes briefly, a single tear fell from her eye which he wiped away angrily His fingers tightened briefly on her wrist and his jaw tightened as he looked down at her." Do not show any weekness" he ordered "my lord does not favour it" he hissed once again. "Come on, we're expected," he said, his voice silky and rough and pulled her along as he headed towards the front door.

She clung to him, whitch he seemed to enjoy, as he lead her through the huge foyer. They passed under a garishly carved archway and into what looked like a dining room. Painting spotted the walls, portraits, landscapes, strange looking swirls that Hermione was too distracted to give more attention. Other then the paintings the room was sparingly decorated, white and grays the prominent colors, silver and glass abundant. She took a deep breath, ordering her mind to relax.

With a flick of his wand Barty opened two large doors and pulled her inside. At least ten Death Eaters stood in a line against the far wall. They stood completely still, for a moment Hermione thought that maybe they were simply the robes hanging, but the slight movement of one showed them to be real.

The room suddenly filled with whispers as she was led further into the room but was silenced by a deep hiss. Hermione's attention was drawn to the figure standing by the window. He stood tall, his pale flesh bathed in the moonlight, seeming to glow. Looking at him she felt as though all the warmth was being sucked from her body. He turned and Hermione took a deep breath when his hot red eyed gaze fell on her, piercing her soul and probing her her seventh year teachings, she shut her eyes tight, imagining two large iron doors between them and quickly slamming them shut.

She could feel his mind beating against the doors of hers, throwing wave after wave of power against her barrier. She heard him roar in her head.A deep, amused chuckle made her open her eyes to see Voldemort walking slowly towards her.

"I see Severus has taught you well, Miss Granger," he barely whispered, his voice more of a hiss with a coolness that made chills run down her spine. It hurt her to think that snape was probally dead, she never liked him but still it hurt."Not Severus," she answered her voice sounding stronger then she felt. "He could barely manage to put up with Harry in our fifth year, why would he put time into a Mudblood?"

She felt him probe at her mind again and this time she looked back into his eyes, more confident in her barrier. Voldemort grinned as he drew closer; reaching out to cup her jaw with his long, pale fingers. He was more snake then human, thin lips curled inwards over tiny pointed teeth, his nose gone leaving two grotesque moment the dark wizard reached for her she felt Bartys hand tighten on her wrist and she knew that to cringe away or show any sign of the disgust she felt would be a bad idea. Instead she swallowed hard and kept her eyes on his even as his cold fingers slid over her cheek and down her throat. His red eyes grew large as he touched her hair and cupped the back of her throat and Hermione had to clench her teeth to hold in the scream that welled up inside as he brought his face closer. His head tipped first to one side then the other, and by the sound of him pulling air through his two open nostrils she knew that he was sniffing her.

Barty still gripped her wrist and without thinking she wrapped her fingers around his. He pulled her closer, a movement so subtle that she wondered if he knew that he'd done it. But there was no time to warning Voldemort cupped her face in both his cold hands, long fingers stretching over the whole length, almost unnaturally. His narrow red eyes glared into hers again but this time she wasn't ready.

Snakes.

They filled her mind. She could feel them just behind her eyes, coiling, slithering; slick and wet and terrifyingly mind flashed, and she watched as Voldemort reviewed her thoughts, her life, her strange woman who came to her house to tell her parents that she was a witch, meeting Harry on the train, her first kiss with Victor Krum, yelling at Sirius for almost getting Harry killed again, her parents forcing her to choose between her world or theirs, the moments with Barty, dumbledore giving then the coins, tonkys dying, the order dying, remus dying, harry and ginny dying, her surrender to barty, her surrender to the dark lord.

At length she felt the slithery hold loosen and finally release her. It took her a moment to realize that Barty was holding her up with one strong arm around her waist and that she was gripping him tight enough to make him grimace. Tears welled up in her eyes but she remebered bartys words not to show any weakness."and why is it then, that you chose to surrender to me, rather than dying" he hissed. She swallowed hard " i do not want to die, and i would rather serve you and stay with barty" she wispered.

"well mudblood, i find your intelligence usefull and i would rather not waste such an oppertunity like this, there still is the matter of your blood thou but we could overcome that fact" he hissed thoughtfully "welcome miss granger to the dark side" he smiled sadistically at her and she shivered lightyly. She looked up at Bart who was smirking like animal, he looked adorable, where did that come from she wondered at herself angrilly. He looked at her and she almost melted into he coal black eyes. His smirk widenened. She turned back to voldemort " thank you my lord" she wispered before barty took her out of the room.


End file.
